Who Do We Become on the Way to Our Goals? Intention, Effort, and the Test

22 November 2021

Question: Is reaching a goal more important, or the kind of person we become on the way to it?

When people are young, they set goals for themselves.

Getting into university, acquiring a good profession, earning money, marrying, buying a home…

All of these may be part of life.

But a goal is not merely the outcome.

The decisions we make, the relationships we form, and the causes we set in motion on the way to that goal also shape us.

Verse 124 of Surah Al-Baqarah relates that Abraham was tested with certain commands, fulfilled them, and was made a leader for the people.

Responsibility follows the test.

Lineage, Family, and Surroundings Do Not Replace Choice

Abraham asks for this position for his descendants as well. The reply declares that Allah’s covenant does not extend to the wrongdoers.

This is a very clear measure.

Being born into a good family does not guarantee that we will make the right choices.

Even being descended from a prophet does not remove a person’s free will.

Question: Are we evading responsibility by blaming our family, surroundings, or past for our own mistakes?

Family has an influence.

Surroundings have an influence.

But people also have their own choices.

When someone we love does something wrong, we can explain what is right.

But we cannot force them to change.

We can guide our child. We can pray for them.

But we cannot live their life for them.

Knowing this boundary allows us to assess both ourselves and others more accurately.

Ali’s Goal: Causes Before the Outcome

Let us imagine a young man. Let his name be Ali.

He is eighteen and wants to go to university.

This is his goal.

But is setting a goal enough?

No.

He needs to study, research which department he wants, identify the subjects in which he is lacking, and organize his time.

These are causes.

If Ali merely says, “I want to go to university,” but does not do the necessary work, no connection has been established between the goal and his behavior.

Question: Are we truly setting causes in motion for our goals, or merely imagining the outcome?

If we want a profession, we must study the knowledge that profession requires.

If we want to establish a business, we must learn about that field.

If we want a marriage, we must think about bearing responsibility as well as finding a spouse.

Preparation comes before the outcome.

Scarcity Sometimes Compels People to Work

Ali may not have every opportunity readily available.

He may have little money. He may need to work harder to obtain something.

This difficulty may help him acquire skills.

He may learn to take care of his own tasks, save money, and be patient.

On the other hand, let us imagine a young person who is immediately given everything they want.

If they become accustomed to obtaining the outcome without working, they may not know what to do when faced with difficulties later in life.

This does not mean wealth is bad.

The issue is whether opportunities remove a person’s effort and responsibility.

The price is not only money; time, effort, and patience are also a price.

When people give these along the way, they may gain something greater than the outcome: experience.

Knowing Yourself and Your Goal

When pursuing a goal, knowing only the external conditions is not enough.

We also need to know ourselves.

What are we suited to? What do we enjoy? In which areas do we struggle?

If we choose a department solely because “It pays a lot,” we may disregard our own characteristics.

The source emphasizes three aspects of pursuing a goal: knowing yourself, knowing the goal, and knowing the people involved in the goal.

A profession is not merely a name.

It has its own way of working, human relationships, and required skills.

Question: Do we truly know what we want, or do we merely want the outcome that looks appealing from a distance?

We can ask this question about marriage, too.

We may love someone. But if we act solely according to our own desire without understanding their needs, character, and expectations, we may turn the relationship into selfishness.

The person before us is not the object of our goal.

They, too, have their own will and rights.

Not Forgetting Kismet While Working for Our Allotted Share

Ali is studying for his goal.

These may be the causes he sets in motion on the side of his allotted share, or nasip.

But life does not consist solely of our own goal.

Ali helps his mother. He explains a subject he knows to his friend. He notices someone in need.

These actions may not directly improve his exam result.

But they create another area of goodness in a person’s life.

The aspect we call kismet appears here.

Question: Do we completely forget others on the way to our goal?

When we focus solely on our own success, we may begin to see those around us as instruments.

Yet goodness should also be done beyond the goal.

The outcome may not be as we wish.

Ali may not gain admission to his desired department. Another department may become available and be more suitable for him.

We do not know the future.

That is why we set causes in motion but do not make a god of the outcome.

Intention Changes the Direction of the Goal

Two people may do the same work.

One works solely to appear superior, while the other wants to benefit others through what they learn.

From the outside, the effort looks the same, but the intention differs.

Tying the intention behind our goals to Allah’s pleasure prevents the outcome from being the sole measure.

If we gain admission to university, we give thanks. If we do not, we look for new causes to set in motion.

If we earn money, we do not forget to share. If we do not, we do not turn to an unlawful shortcut.

If we want a relationship, we respect the other person’s rights.

Question: With what intention are we working for the goal we pursue today?

Let us choose a goal.

Let us write down its causes.

Let us recognize our own shortcomings.

Let us add an area of kismet that will benefit someone else.

Then let us leave the outcome to Allah.

For a goal is not merely the place we will reach.

Every choice we make on the way to a goal also shapes the person we become.

Success is not merely reaching where we want to be; it is not losing justice, effort, and intention on the way there.

We Also Need to Know the People Involved in the Goal

A goal may not concern only us.

If we are establishing a business, there are customers, employees, and partners.

If we are getting married, there is a person before us with their own desires and boundaries.

If we are going to university, our family, teachers, and friends may be part of the process.

That is why knowing the people involved in a goal is as important as knowing the goal itself.

Question: Do we magnify our own desire so much that we become unable to see the other person’s wishes and rights?

In marriage, merely saying, “I want that person,” is not enough. The other person also has the right to choose.

In business, merely saying, “I must profit,” is not enough. The other party also has the right not to be harmed.

Family support should be considered in the same way. Parents helping their child is valuable; but continually paying the entire price on the child’s behalf may prevent the child from developing their own strength.

In Ali’s example, the beauty of the goal does not lie solely in his getting into university.

It lies in his learning to work, be patient, research, and respect the rights of others.

These skills remain with Ali even if the goal changes.

This is the lasting aspect of setting causes in motion.

The outcome may change, but the character we acquire while proceeding through the right causes stays with us.